Burial apparatus.



E. KNE LL, 1mm). S. L. KNELL, EXEGUTRIX.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 191(1- Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

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BUBIAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1910.

1,041,812. Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

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nNTTED STATES PATENT orrioa EDWARD KN'ELL, or oAnT iAGn, MiS'SQUBI; sUsAn L. KNELI. EXECUTRIX 0F sAID EDWARD KivnLL, DECEASED.

Bun'IAI. APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 22, 1910. Serial No. 573,280.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD KNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carthage, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Burial Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to burial apparatus.

The'object of the invention is the provision of a novel casket lowering and raising mechanism by which an even manipulation may be obtained. Heretofore, with machines of this character it has been difficult to lower the casket evenly and easily and without a jerky motion or considerable strain on the operator.

It is the object of this invention to ob viate such difliculties and particularly speaking the invention consists in providing suitable mechanism whereby the webs are evenly and easily unrolled and rolled up upon their respective drums.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan View. Fig. 2 is a detail end elevation. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is a longitudinal sectional view on the line H of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the shifting lock mechanism. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of one of the web rollers. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view through the machine showing the pawl operating rod and its associated parts.

Referring more especially to the drawing, 1 represents the frame which is constructed of outer and inner side members 2 and 3 and outer and inner end members 4 and 5, the latter being divided in half and connected by the hinges 6 whereby the frame may be folded for compactness in transportation. The respective side members 2 and 3 are braced apart by struts 7 in which shaft bearings 8 are mounted for the reception of the drum shafts 9. These drum shafts extend longitudinally of the frame and at suitable intervals throughout their length are provided with drums 10 upon which the casket supporting webs are wound, one end of each web being wound around the near drums in one direction and the opposite ends of the webs being wound around the far drums in the opposite direction. At the 5 right hand end of the frame the near shafts have secured thereto between the end members of said frame, sprocket wheels 11 over which a standard spocket chain 12 passes. This chain extends as shown at Fig. 3 from one shaft to the other in order that both may be driven simultaneously in the same direction. Immediately adjacent the member 4: 1s a friction drum 13 having bearing upon its surface a friction shoe 14 which is pressed into engagement with the drum by means of a screw 15 threaded into a socket 16 carried by the upper portion of the frame. This friction shoe has secured to it leather friction pads 17 in the manner shown in Fig. 7 so that when the pad is worn out it may be removed and another fresh one substituted. The drum 13 is suitably keyed to the near shaft 9 in order that it may rotate therewith. In order that the shafts 9 may revolve evenly and slowly during the descent of the casket, there is keyed to one of the shafts 9 intermediate the sprocket wheel 11 and the drum 13 a gear wheel 17 which is engaged by a double spring pressed pawl 18 adapted to engage the gear on opposite sides. The

arms of the double pawl are pressed into engagement with the gear by springs 20 which are secured to the lower portion of one of the end members of the frame and are mounted between collars 21 on a shaft 22 which is slidably mounted in bearings 23 secured in the end members 4 and 5. At the outer end of the shaft 22 I provide separate notches 24 and 24 which are adapted to be engaged as shown in Fig. 6 by a spring pressed bar 25 which is mounted for vertical movement in brackets 26 carried on the end member 4. The outer end of the shaft 22 is provided with a milled head 27 by which the shaft may be operated to disengage the double pawl 18 from the gear 17 when it is desired to raise the tapes or casket from the grave. The outer end of the shaft 9 is provided with a ratchet wheel 28 and a suitable pawl 29 may be turned into engagement therewith to lock theshaft from rotation, thereby preventing further lowering of the casket. The inner side members 3 are provided with suitable rollers 30 over which the tapes or webs pass in order to lessen fric- 105 tion.

In the operation of the device the webs are stretched from drum to drum with a portion of their length wound upon each in opposite directions and the pawl 29 thrown 110 into engagementwith the ratchet wheel 28 I either drum so that when the casket is in 25 to lock the shafts from rotation, the casket is then placed upon the webs and the pawl 29 released so that the shafts may unwind under the weight of the casket. In this operation of lowering the casket into the grave the pawls 18 are held in engagement with the gear 17 by means of the spring pressed bar 25 which engages the notch 24 in the shaft 22. These pawls 18 act in a manner of an escapement and when one is in engagement with the gear, the opposite one is out of engagement for alternately reversing their position as the shaft 9 rotates. While this arrangement makes the rotation of the shaft 9 even the friction device conthe gear 17 and the drum 18. Either end of the webs may be removably connected to lowered position, the webs may be drawn from beneath the casket either by rotating the shaft to which they are connected or by pulling them out by hand.

What is claimed is In a device of the class described, the combination with a two-part frame, of means for hinging them together, web winding shafts journaled in each part of the frame, means for simultaneously operating said shafts, escapement means mounted in one of the parts of the frame for'regulating the speed of the shafts in unwinding,and means for throwing said last-named means out of operative position for winding the shafts, together with casket supporting webs carried by the shafts.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature witnesses. 4

EDWARD KNELL.

Witnesses H. C. HEFLEY, R. O. GmssoM.

in presence of two (topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

